1. Field of Invention
While intended for use on all stringed instruments, the invention may find its greatest use on the electric bass guitar. The electric bass guitar was conceived of by Mr. C. L. Fender, with Design Pat. No. 169,062 issuing Mar. 24, 1953. Since that time, various techniques previously used on conventional steel and nylon steel guitars as well as techniques used on the acoustic upright double bass have been used to cause the strings to vibrate, which vibration induces a signal in the electrical pickup devices of the instrument, which signal is then amplified electronically and returned to vibrational mechanical energy by means of loudspeakers.
These techniques used to cause the strings to vibrate have included plucking using fingers and/or thumb or the use of a pick held between the thumb and a finger, all of which induce a string vibration parallel to the plane of the fingerboard of the instrument.
More recently, a technique has been developed in which the string is impacted using the side of a thumb in a direction normal to that of the plane of the fingerboard bouncing off of the fingerboard and thus inducing a string vibration normal to the fingerboard of the instrument. This technique may incidentally use the fingers to pluck the strings also in a direction normal to that of the plane of the fingerboard and thus intended to induce a vibration normal to the fingerboard of the instrument.
This invention relates to a device intended to be worn on the proximal and/or distal phalanx of the thumb which permits the striking of the string by a rigid material inducing vibrations normal to that of the body surface of the instrument which vibrations are not damped by the soft tissue of the human thumb. In addition, this invention serves to protect the sensitive thumb joint and also serves as an aid in the instruction of thumb impact technique.
2. Prior Art
The prior art consists of picks or plectrums used to induce vibrations in a direction parallel to the plane of the fingerboard of the instrument and the striking the string with the side of the thumb, inducing vibrations normal to that of the body surface of the instrument.
The major disadvantage of the use of a pick or plectrum is that said devices cannot induce the requisite direction of string vibration normal to that of the body surface of the instrument.
The major disadvantages of the present system of using the thumb are signal vibration! damping, low level of high order harmonics, low output levels and the potential for damage to the joint between the proximal and distal phalanx of the thumb from repeated impacts, which may be hundreds of times per minute and thousands of times per playing session.